Amendments
The first Amendment states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” This sets the tone for a great country to be formed. No other country says that their citizens have the same rights as the Constitution proclaims. To take a closer look at the Amendments and why people say that the first one is the most important amendment, this paper will look into the true meaning of the first amendment and the importance to this country.
A wise man once said “you must put the most important thing first.” This is very true in the constitution, the founding fathers of our nation felt that religion is important. If you look at the way we run our country today, if they all made us worship a potato we would become close minded egocentric jerks that are not open to change or not able to uphold world relations because we have become a nation wide cult. If you make a country believe in one religion it will create a group of radicals that don’t believe in the system and they will strike at the church violently. It would then lead to civil wars, then the over through of the government. The founding fathers knew this because that’s why they broke free from the tyrannical form of a country they use to call home and create a better one.
One of the second things mentioned in the first amendment is the freedom of speech. This is the most stressed part of the amendment. In some countries (like China) if you speak bad about your government they will take swift action and put you in prison and put you death under the crime of treason. The right of free speech has helped this country break free of racial barriers like the book “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” by Harriet Beacherstowe told about the ways the Blacks were miss treated and the American people were outraged this later lead to the American Civil War. This than freed the slaves.
What would this country be without the newspapers of our local towns? People had to find the news and the press is the number one way to find the news.
The first Amendment of the United States Constitution says; “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”[1] Our fore fathers felt that this statement was plain enough for all to understand, however quite often the United States government deems it necessary to make laws to better define those rights that are stated in the Constitution. Today the framers would be both encouraged and discouraged by our modern interpretation the First Amendment the United States Constitution.
One key to the first amendment of the United states constitution is the right to free speech. Freedom of speech is what separates America than other countries around the world that forbid freedom of speech rights. Freedom of speech has been in our constitution since the year 1791. When James Madison “the father of the constitution” wrote the bill of rights he saw potential and that it would make the country more freedom filled than other countries. The land of the free is what the United States is nicknamed and it 's because of our rights to express ourselves as freely as we desire.
The first ten amendments make up the bill of rights. The first amendment states congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Some forms of speech are not covered by the first amendment such as fighting words and threats.
Being expression one of the most important rights of the people to maintain a connected society right to speech should be accepted to do so. The first amendment is one of the most fundamental rights that individuals have. It is fundamental to the existence of democracy and the respect of human dignity. This amendment describes the principal rights of the citizens of the United States. If the citizens were unable to criticize the government, it would be impossible to regulate order. By looking freedom of speech there is also freedom of assembly and freedom of press that are crucial for the United States democracy.
The Amendment I of the Bill of Rights is often called “the freedom of speech.” It provides a multitude of freedoms: of religion, of speech, of the press, to peacefully assemble, to petition the government. Religious freedom is vitally important to this day because it eliminates the problem of religious conflicts. Historically, many people died for their beliefs because their government only allowed and permitted one religion. T...
The 1st amendment was put into play of the Bills of Rights in December 1791. It was placed to protect the freedoms of religion, speech, petition, and press. The freedom of speech is one of the protection clauses that people really enjoy the most. Although there are some certain limitations to the freedom of speech so some things do not carried away. The 1st amendment protects speech in so many ways that allow the people to speak up and voice their opinions or thoughts in ways that many would have thought was illegal or against the law. It allowed people to voice their opinions by in some circumstances by not speaking at all, use offensive words and phrases in political messages, and overall allow individuals to express themselves without the
There are many key points within the first amendment, regarding to the freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly and the right to petition. According to the First Amendment to the Constitution it states Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances (“Bill of rights transcript text,” 2012). The U.S. Constitution is a very powerful and breathing document that has three main functions, which is important for everyone to know how the constitution works. Firstly, it creates a national government consisting of a legislative,
The first amendment, was first proposed on December 15th,1971, along with the Bill Of Rights. This amendment protects five basic freedoms in the United States. The freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, the right to assemble, and the right to petition. The first amendment was proposed to give citizens non-negotiable rights. This amendment, is the first part, listed in the Bill of Rights. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” - Bill of Rights. This means that the first amendment protects
The First Amendment clearly voices a great American respect toward the freedom of religion. It also prevents the government from "abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." Since the early history of our country, the protection of basic freedoms has been of the utmost importance to Americans.
The 1st Amendment is an important amendment that guarantees American citizens fundamental rights. The 1st Amendment includes five freedoms: Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Press, Freedom of Assembly, and Freedom of Petition. The effect of the First Amendment is shown in the Supreme Court case Texas V. Johnson (the flag burning case), when Johnson burned the United States flag he was charged but later the court decided that burning the United States flag was a freedom of expression. This is shown in the Flag Burning Political Cartoon when he is burning
Yet, still even with this, the American people still needed individual protection from the government. With this being said, the Bill of Rights was created to further protect the liberties of American citizens. The Bill of Rights is a list of ten amendments that would guarantee the rights of the people (Bill of Rights). This document was created to ensure the government did not get too much power, but current day it can be observed how the government is trying to clip away at these amendments, trying to convince the people that they are not necessary. This can be seen with the two most currently most debated amendments, the first and second (Discussing Controversial Topics). The First Amendment, as stated in the Bill of Rights, is as so, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the
The first amendment is the most important amendment in the United States Constitution. It gives great power and opportunity to the people of the United States. One of the main focuses drawn by the people is the ability to practice the religion that they so desire. The first amendment allows religion to exist due to the establishment clause and the free exercise clause. Both clauses are important and necessary for continous survival of religion. However, not all clauses are created equal. While many would argue that the free exercise clause holds a greater importance in the constitution, evidence suggests that the establishment clause is far more superior because it hinders a religion from dominating the country, it prevents the government from being biased, and it helps individuals who are not religious avoid being involved in the funding of religion as a whole.
The first amendment is the cornerstone of our American society founded years ago by our forefathers. Without the first amendment many ideas, beliefs, and groups could not exist today. The first amendment guaranteed the people of the United States the freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of religion, freedom of assembly, and freedom of petition. Although the first amendment guarantees us, Americans the freedom of speech, we cannot use it to cause others harm. This amendment has helped shaped Americans into what we are today, because of our right to assemble, speak freely, and worship as we please.
"The First Amendment guarantees freedoms concerning religion, expression, assembly, and the right to petition. It forbids Congress from both promoting one religion over others and also restricting an individual’s religious practices. It guarantees freedom of expression by prohibiting Congress from restricting the press or the rights of individuals to speak freely. It also guarantees the right of citizens to assemble peaceably and to petition their government (First Amendment, 1971).
The First Amendment of the Constitution is the most important and debatable of them all. The First Amendment states; “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, of prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”